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Healthy child, happy parent
By: NC
(NC)—Parents recognize the important benefits vaccines bring to their children's health and happiness. According to a recent Ipsos Reid survey on childhood vaccinations, 95 per cent of Canadian parents feel that children still need to be vaccinated to prevent childhood diseases such as measles, mumps, tetanus, polio or whooping cough. Thanks to recent developments in new vaccines, there are now other serious common childhood diseases that are also preventable.
The leading cause of bacterial infection in kids less than two years old, infection with the bacteria s. pneumoniae can lead to pneumococcal meningitis, pneumonia, blood infections and common ear infections.
In the short-term, the consequences of infection can cause children to miss school and parents to miss work. About 34 per cent of parents reported missing work or other commitments due to a child's ear infection or tube procedure. In the long run, the consequences of infection can have a life-long impact on children, including hearing loss, learning disabilities, speech delays, paralysis and
sometimes death.
Fortunately, a vaccine now exists to prevent infection with s. pneumoniae. Prevnar® can be given to infants as young as two months of age and to children up to nine years of age.
Keep your kids happy and healthy. Make sure you're up to date on all the vaccines available for your children. Speak to your doctor or Public Health department for more information.
Is your child at high risk for pneumococcal
infection?
• Under two years of age
• Attends daycare or preschool
• Exposed to children who are often sick
• Recently required antibiotics
• Of African or aboriginal descent
• Has as a weakened immune system or chronic disease
- News Canada
About the author:
News Canada
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